Mechanical musical instrument.



H. S. HORNBEGK. MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT;

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3, 1910.

1 102,269, Patented July 7, 1914.

4 SHEETB-SHBET 1.

WITNESSES:

A TTORN E Y5 H. s. HORNBEGK. MEGHANIGAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3,1910.

Patented July 7, 1914.

4 SHEETSSHEET 2 H. s. H ORNBBGK. MBGHANIGAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE'3,'1910.

1,102,269. Patented July 7, 1914;

N 4 SHEETS-SHEET s.

H. S. HORNBEGK.

MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION. FILED JUNE 8, 1910.

Patented July 7, 19M

4 SHEE TSSHEET 4.

the upper part of hammer rest rail of different character. 12 lS a viewin front elevation, with the r icru rnn s'rnrns ra rnn r @hhiltlhttaste.

' To allwlzom it may concern."

Be it known that l, HENRY S. Honnenon, a citizen of the United States,residing in Elizabeth, in the State of'New Jersey, have invented certainnew. and useful Improvements in hllechanical Musical Instruments, ofwhich the following is a specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

' his invention relates to mechanical play ing devices for musicalinstruments and construction, support-and operation of those 'oftheplaylng devices or controlling by which the throw of the hammers isvaried devices at will to produce solo efiects.

. The invention will be more fully explained hereinafter with referenceto the accompanying drawings in which it is illustrated, and in which IFigure l is a view in front elevation, with the case removed, of apneumatic player piano to which the improvements are applied. 'Figs. 2and 8 are detail views showing, in diflerent positions, the controllinghandle and the connections therefrom to the hammer rest rail. Figs. land 5 are detail top views of the controlling handle or lever and itssupporting devices and intermediate connections, the handle being shownin difierent positions. Fig. 6 is a detail view in section on the planeindicatcdhy the line Get) of Fig. l, looking in the direction of-thearrows. Fig. 7 is a top view of the pneumatic controller and itsimmediate connections. Fig. 8 is a view of the same, partly in ele ationand partly in vcrtica'l section. Fig. .9 is a detail view in sectionthrough the terminal board and swinging head shown in Figs. 7 and 8, buton a larger scale, and Fig. 10 is a similar viewv of a modification.Fig. 11 is a view i similar to Fig. 9 showing the application of thecontroller handle to the operation of a front casing removed, of aplayer piano which embodies a rest rail of the character of thatindicated in Fig. 11.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed June 3, 1910. SerialNo. 564,601.

rail f is swung i i nanny s. nonunnon, or ELIZABETH, new JERSEY.

MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

Patented July fl, 18 14.

In the embodiment of the invention illus trated in Figs. 19 of thedrawings, the frame a of the piano supports, in usual manner, the fingerkeys 6, the tracker-box 0, the bellows mechanism indicated by thebellows pedals (Z and the wind box (shown in dotted lines) cl, and thehammers e which are ac tuated as usual.

The devices by which the throw of the hammers is varied, either tosoften all tones or to soften the tones of the harmony or accompaniment,while permitting the tones of the melody to stand out more prominently,with a solo efiect, while of the same general nature as heretoforedevised, are nevertheless so constructed and combined, in the presentinstance, as to constitute an attachment, complete in itself, which canbe applied readily to any ordinary player piano in which there issufficient room for the attachment, without requiring modification ofthe plan ing devices of such piano. As thus constructed, the attachmentcomprises a bar a which may be secured in the frame a in any suitablemanner, from which is hung, by suitable hinges a a swinging main rail orsupport f. Independently movable sectional. rest rails g are supportedby the main rail f, each of which is adapted to cooperate with arelatively small number of hammers e and is carried by the movablememberof a corresponding sectional bellows g mounted on the main rail f. Eachof the bellows g is held normally expanded by a spring 9 and iscollapsed through connection with the vacuum system as hereinafterdescribed. Means are also provided, as hereinafter described, forbringing the main rail f and therefore all of the sectional rest railstogether toward or from the strings, so as to limit the throw of thehammers more or less, and the relations of the parts are such that whenthe main rail is swung so as to carry all of the sectional rails towardthe strings, so as to soften all the tones, as in the posi* tion shownin Fig. 2. and thereafter any one of the bellows g is collapsed, thecorrespondin sectional rail 9 will be moved away from the correspondinghammers to permit such hammers to have their full throw, whereby,through a proper selection of the bellows g, the melody is made to standout with a solo effect while the tones of the harmony or accompanimentare subdued more or less according to the extent to which the main rest7 toward or from the strings.

The force with which the melody or solo tones is produced is modifiedfor expression in any usual manner, as by the action of the feet on thepedals. The normal position of the main rest rail f is shown in Fig. 2,in which all the tones are softened, while the position of the main railin which all the tones may be produced with full force is represented inFig. 3.

The several sectional bellows g are adapted to be severally connectedwith the vacuum systemfat the will of the performer, through a pneumaticcontroller hwhich is mounted on the supporting bar a and forms a part ofthe attachment. Such controller consists of a terminal board It providedwith a series of ports 71 arranged in the arc of a circle and connectedrespectively, by flexible tubes 71 with the corresponding bellows 9. Onthe terminal board h is mounted an oscillating slide valve or head is,adapted to be oscillated by the performer through suitable meanshereinafter described and having two chambers is and is", open on theunderside of the head. The chambers is and are of different size, theone, 70', being adapted to register completely with only one port 7& ata time, while the other, 70 is adapted to register with several ports kat one time, so that, at the will of the performer, any single bellowsg, or any succession oftwo or more bellows simultaneously, may be placedin communication with the vacuum system. In order that one or the otherof the chambers 70, 70 may be placed in communication with the vacuumsystem at the will of the performer, the two chambers are connected,through flexible pipes 70 is, with a double valve action Z which in turnis connected by tube at with the vacuum system, as at d. The connectionsof the tubes is and 70* with the vacuum system are controlledrespectively, in the usual manner, by valves Z and Z which in turn areplaced under the control of the performer, in usual manner, throughtubes Z and Z, the terminals of which, located on the controlling handleor lever hereinafter referred to, are normally. closed by spring valvesZ and Z in convenient position to be opened by the fingers of theperformer.

Obviously the partition k between the chambers 70 and 70 of the head 70must be of such character, or of such thickness, as to prevent thepossibility of a single port 7L2 being simultaneously in communicationwith both chambers in and 70 also provision should be made whereby theport 7L2 adjacent to that which is in communication with the chamber 70may be in communication with the chamber k so that there shall not be ofnecessity any dead port between the two chambers. This desirable resultis accomplished, in the construction shown in Fig. 9, by giving thepartition is substantial thickness, at least as great as the diameter ofeach one of the ports [L2, and by forming therein a passage 70, whichopens through the bottom of the head and communicates, through one sideof the partition, with the chamber is, its mouth being covered by acheck valve 767. Whenever the chamber 10 is in communication with thevacuum system the check valve 70' permits air to be drawn through thepassage 70 from the port It" with which the passage in happens to be incommunication; but if the chamber 7: alone is in communication with thevacuum system, then air can be drawn only through that port k which isin communication with the chamber is and cannot be drawn from thechamber 70 even thou h the assage k part1 overlaps a port h w ich is incommunicatlon with the chamber k, because of the check valve 1: providedat the mouth of the passa e In.

It is conceivable that with the construction shown in Fig. 9 the head Itmight stand in such a position, with the wall to the right of thepassage 70 standing over the middle of one of the ports k that thevacuum in chamber 70 might be broken by leakage of air from chamber 70and pipe 70 To prevent this and to make the chambers 70 and if moreindependent and distinct in function, the constructionof the valve headmight be further modified as shown in Fig. 10, in which the passage iscommunicates also with the chamber is through an opening provided with acheck valve 70*, opening away from the chamber is, while the pipe js isprovided with a check valve 70- which opens away from the chamber is.Thus, when a full chord is to be produced with full tone, all of theports b covered by the head 70 will be in communication with the pipe k,with no breaking of the vacuum through the pipe 7: while, for soloeffect, no other ports h are placed in communication with the pipe [athan those covered by the mouth of the chamber is" The main rail f isprovided with a yoke f to which is pivotally connected one end of a link7, the other end of whichis pivotally connected to the combinedcontrolling lever which is conveniently located below the key bottom (1This controlling lever is so constructed and arranged that through itsmovements up and down the main rail f can be swung toward or from thestrings, while by its movements from side to side, the pneumaticcontroller is can be moved to place the desired bellows g incommunication with the vacuum system. Moreover, besides carrying theterminal valves 1 and Z by which the performer is enabled to place anyone or several of such bellows in connection with the vacuum system, thecontrolling lever can be turned" back under the key bottom out of theway and out of sight at p.

" the arm 79 in one direction minal valves Z and Z, above mentioned.

l\ ear its pivot 0 the inner arm of the lever 0 is cranked or bent, asat 0 and on the dropped part 0 an arm 7) is pivoted, as A spring camlatch p is secured to the pivoted arm 12,- so that the arm 0 and thepivoted, arm p may be connected so as to move together as one arm, andso that the arm p may he disengaged from the arm 0*. A. sto pin n issecured in the underside of the plate lever n to limit the movement ofand a stop pin a is also secured in the underside of the plate lover ato limit the movement of the arm 0 and the arm p in the other direction:Connected to the arm 79, preferably by a yieldingspring arm 19 so thatthe up and down movements of the lever may be accommodated, is a link 9which at its other end is connected to an army of a vertical rock shaftThe rock shaft 91 carries the pneumatic controller head 70, so that bythe proper movement of the handle 0 of the lever 0 to one side or theother, and by the proper manipulation of the valves Z and Z, theperformer is enabled to place any one or any succession of the bellows gin communication with the vacuum system.

In order that the performer may have before him a visible indicator toshow the position of the controller head in its relation to the noteperforations. of the music sheet the rock shaft 9 is provided with anarm g which is connected by a link with a lever r mountedon an arm aextended from the supporting bar a, The lower end of the lever r isconnected to a secondary lever r which in turn is connected by a link 1'with a rod 1' mounted to slide in suitable guides on the tracker-box andcarrying a suitable indicator plate 1- in front of the music sheet.

"It will now be understood that through the pressure of the hand of theperformer on the handle 0, and of the spring 71?, the mainor supportingbar f may be swung toward or from the hammers to vary the throw of thehammers and that by the movement of the handle to one side or the otherthe connection of the bellows (7' with the vacuum system may becontrolled so that one or another of such bellows may be collapsed togive the corresponding hammers full threw for the purpose of bringingout the melody or solo tones. When the use of the automatic playingdevices is discontinued, the handle 0' is carried to the left until themovement of the pivoted arm 2 is stopped by the stop pin n Strongerpressure on the handle 0' to the left then disengages the arm 0 from thepivoted arm 7) and permits the handle, which at the same time is furtherdepressed, to be swung under the key bottom a out of the way and out ofsight. lVhen the automatic playing devices are again to be used thehandle 0 is pulled down and pulled out from beneath the key bottom a andis pushed to the right until the arm 0 is engaged by the spring latch 79the arm p being held from movement to the left by the stop pin a", whichalso limits the movement of the arm 0 to the left.

In Figs. 1 to 9 of the drawings, the controlling handle is shown inconnection with the pneumatic controller for the sectional rest rails,but obviously the advantages of the improved controller handle may berealized without the pneumatic controller and a different application ofsuch controller h andle is illustrated in Figs. 11 and 12. In the construction shown in said figures the controller lever comprises, asalready described, a primary plate lever 72, a secondary lever 0 and apivoted arm 27 adapted to be connected to the lever 0 by the spring clip72 while the plate lever n is provided on its miderside with stop pins aand a The handle 0 also carries spring terminal valves Z and Z. Theinner end of the plate lever it, however, is connected by the link fwith an arm f 'on a rock shaft f which has arms f one of which is shownin Fig. 10, to cooperate with the single rest rail f, which is carried,as usual, by the pivoted arms 7, one of which is shown in Fig. 10. Themovements of the controlling lever in a vertical direct-ion thereforeserve to move the entire rest rail toward and from the strings to limitthe throw. The arm 79, through the spring arm 79 and link 8, isconnected to a lever s which in turn is connected by the link 8 with asliding bar 8 which actuatcs the tempo control in the usual manner andcarries an indicator .9". The terminal valves, only one of which Z isshown, are connected through. flexible tubes Z with pneumatics Z and Zwhich, through bellows 1 and t respectively, control valves at t and iby which connection is established between the vacuum system and onepart 2% or the other part 6" of the wind chest or trunk t, with whichare connected player pneumatics t By this means, through themanipulation .of the terminal valves Z and Z, the connect-ion betweenthe vacuum system and the player pneumatics of the one part or the otherpart of the scale may be throttled so that the tones produced by theoperation of such pneur30 matics shall be softened, while the tonesproduced by the other pneumatics are produced with full force, except asall tones are softened more or less by the movement of the rest rail ftoward or from the hammers to limit their throw.

Various other applications of the controlling lever will readily suggestthemselves and it is to be understood that the invention,

matic controller mounted on the supporting bar, connections from thecontroller to the plurality of bellows and fromthe control- .ler to thevacuum system, means having a common actuator to swing the movable railtoward and from the strings and to shift the pneumatic controller toplace one or another of the bellows in communication with the vacuumsystem.

2. In a mechanical musical instrument,

.the combination of a series of bellows, a terminal board having aseries of ports to which said bellows are connected respectively, amovable head having two adjacent chambers adapted to register severallywith adjacent ports of said series, independent connections from saidchambers respectively to the vacuum system, means to shift said head,and means to control the connections between said chambers and thevacuum system whereby any of said bellows in succession-may be connectedwith the vacuum system through one or the other of said chamhers.

3. In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination of a series ofbellows, a terminal board having a series of ports to which said bellowsare connected respectively, a movable head having two chambers separatedby a partition and adapted to register with said ports, said-partitionhaving forn'ied. therein a passage adapted at one end to register withsaid ports and communicating at the other end with one of said chambersand provided with a check valve opening toward said chamber and means toplace one or the other of said chambers in communication with the vacuumsystem.

4c- In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination of series ofbellows, a terminal board having a series of ports to which said bellowsare connected respectively, a movable headhaving two adjacentindependent chambers adapted to register severally with adjacent portsof said series and means to place one or the other of said chambers incommunication with the vacuum system.

5. In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination of a series ofbellows, a terminal board having a series of ports to.

which said bellows are connected res ectively, a movable head having'twocham ers adapted to register with said ports, independent connectionsfrom said chambers respectively to the vacuum system, a controllinghandle and connections whereby said head may be shifted, and meanshaving operating terminals on said handle to control the connectionsbetween said chambers and the vacuum system.

6. In a mechanical'musical instrument, the combination of a series ofbellows, a terminalboard having a series of ports to which said bellowsare connected respectively, a movable head having two chambers adaptedto register with said ports, independent connections from said chambersrespectively to the vacuum system, a controlling handle and connectionswhereby said head may be shifted, pneumatics to control said independentconnections, and controlling devices for said pneumatics having theirterminals located on said handle.

7. In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination of a series ofbellows, a terminal board having a series of ports to which said bellowsare connected respectively, a movable head having a chamber adapted toregister with one of said ports and a larger chamber adapted to registerwith several of saidports, independent connections from said chambers tothe vacuum system including each a pneumatic controlling device, acontrolling handle and connections for the pneumatics having theirterminals mounted on said handle.

8. In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination of a movablerail, a plurality of bellows movable therewith, sectional rest 'r'ailscarried by the bellows respectively, a

pneumatic controller and connections whereby any of said bellows may beconnected with the vacuum system, a controlling handle movable indifferent planes, connections from said controlling handle to thesupporting rail and connections from the controlling handle to thepneumatic controller.

9. In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination of a movablerail, a plurality of bellows movable therewith, sectional rest railscarried by the bellows respectively, a pneumatic controller andconnections whereby any of said bellows may be connected with the vacuumsystem, a controlling lever capable of movement up and down and capableof movement from side to side, connections from the controlling lever tosaid rail incense and connections from the controlling lever to saidpneumatic controller.

10. In. a mechanical musical instrument, the combination of a movablerail, a plurality of bellows movable therewith, sectional rest railscarried by the bellows respectively, a terminal board having a series.of ports to which said bellows are connected respectively, a movablehead chambered for registration with said ports, connections from thechambered head to the vacuum system, a controlling lever capable ofmoveto register with said ports, independent connections from saidchambers respectively to the vacuum system, a check valve in one of saidconnections opening from the adjacent chamber, and means to control theconnections between said chambers and the vacuum system whereby any ofsaid bellows may be connected with the vacuum system through one or theother of said chambers. V

12. In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination of a series ofbellows, a terminal board having a series of ports to which said bellowsare connected respectively, a movable head having two chambers separatedby a partition and adapted to register with said ports, said partitionhaving formed therein a passage adapted to register with said ports andto communicate with said chambers respectively and provided with a checkvalve opening toward one of said chambers andwith a check valve openingfrom the other of said chambers, independent connections from saidchambers respectively to the vacuum system, a check valve in one of saidconnections opening from the adjacent chamber, and means to control theconnections between said chambers and the vacuum system whereby any ofsaid bellows may be connected with the vacuum system through one or theother of said chambers.

13. In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination of a series oftone producing devices, means to vary the action of all of the toneproducing devices simultaneously, means to vary independently andselectively the action of said series of tone producing devices, acontroller for said last named means, a controlling handle movable indifferent planes, connections from said controlling handle to said firstnamed means, and connections from said controlling handle to saidcontroller.

14. In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination of a series oftone producing devices, means to control the action of all of said toneproducing devices simultaneously, a series of bellows and devicesactuated by said bellows respectively to vary selectively the action ofsaid series of tone producing devices, a pneumatic controller andconnections whereby any of said bellows may be connected with the vacuumsystem, a controlling handle moving in diiii'erent planes, connectionsfrom said controlling handle to said first named means and con nectionsfrom said controlling handle to the pneumatic controller.

This specification signed and witnessed this 23rd day of May, A. D.1910.

HENRY S. HORNBECK.

Signed in the presence ot'- M. Rmomnc, N. A. Sana-1a.

copies of this patent may be obtained. for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents 1 Washington, E. C.

